According to the Au Pair program regulations in Denmark - and according to the Au Pair definition in general - the participant should accept a role as a family member during the stay. If the Au Pair program is what you are looking for, have a look at the program regulations in Denmark.

Au Pair duties in Denmark

In Denmark the Au Pair duties are well specified. According to the country’s regulations, the participant should contribute to the household by carrying out housekeeping chores, such as babysitting, cleaning and washing the kids’ clothes, etc. The applicant is not in any case in charge of taking care of adult family members! Her/his main scope of responsibility is childcare and the tasks related to childcare.

Host Family’s duties

The Host Family has to provide the Au Pair with a fixed sum of pocket money, a room and full board. The participant should also have a certain number of days off in a week (in Denmark it is 1,5) and should be able to attend a language course. The Host Family should also provide the participant with either a car or a ticket for buses and trains. It is important to arrange the Au Pair’s schedule, so she/he can find time to study and arrange her/his free time. Find out more about the Host Family responsibilities.

In Denmark, the Host Family has to pay a certain fee to support the Au Pair’s language course. In case of Au Pairs from countries not belonging to EU / EEA, the Host Family has to cover the travel expenses of the participant.

Wages

The Au Pair will receive a salary of 4050 - 4150 DKK . The money must be paid into the Au Pair’s Danish bank account until the end of every month.

The pocket money may exceed this amount, nonetheless, the Au Pair is most likely not allowed to work in Denmark! The Au Pair program is not considered as work and she/he doesn’t have to apply for a work permit to join the program.

Working hours

According to Danish legislation, the Au Pair has to work 6 days per week for 3 - 5 hours. Depending on the number of hours per day, it sums up to 18 - 30 hours per week.

If the Au Pair’s schedule does not meet the requirements, the participant will not receive a residence permit. It’s important to keep these numbers in mind while discussing the Au Pair contract!

Time off and holidays

The Au Pair in Denmark will have one and a half days off every week. What does ‘a half day off’ mean? It means that the participant needs to complete the tasks during 3 - 5 hours either before, or after 2 p.m. One other day has to be totally free. All the official Danish national holidays are free as well. The time off needs to match the language course and any religious event the Au Pair wishes to join.

The participant will have 3 weeks of holidays. The Au Pair needs to have a written agreement with the Host Family describing the details of the holiday break. The exact time of the holidays depends on the participant’s schedule. It needs to be calculated according to the number of days the Au Pair is occupied with working.

If the Au Pair works 6 days per week, she/he gets two and a half days off per month. The free days will vary depending on the exact schedule. Detailed information regarding this matter is available on the official website of Danish authorities.

Accommodation

The Host Family has to provide a private bedroom at their place for the Au Pair. Danish legislation establishes that the participant can use a common living room - but that’s just in theory! In practice, the Au Pair should become a family member. All the facilities in the house should be fully available for the participant including the full board.

In case of illness, nothing changes in terms of the accommodation and salary. The Au Pair can still enjoy both the accommodation and full board. The Host Family should not deduct the pocket money in any case.

Language course

The participant needs to have enough spare time to attend a language course. The official legislation does not specify any additional requirements regarding this matter. The language course is not obligatory for the participant; nonetheless, the Host Family will need to pay the fee to support the course regardless of the Au Pair’s decision.

Travel cost

If the participant lives in a country not belonging to the EU / EEA or Switzerland, the Host Family will have to pay for her/his ticket to Denmark. The return ticket must be covered by the Host Family as well, but in this case several conditions must be fulfilled:

The Au Pair returns to a country outside the EU / EEA / Switzerland

If the participant stays with a new Host Family in Denmark, the new family is in charge of funding the return ticket.

In case the participant’s residence permit expires, she/he needs to notify the Host Family a month in advance so the family can take care of the return ticket. If the Au Pair doesn’t do that, she/he is responsible to get the return ticket.

If the applicant’s stay ends for any other reason, she/he must notify the family in writing no later than one week after the termination that she/he wants to go back home. The participant needs to leave the country up to 3 weeks after the notification.

What else?

The Au Pair can carry out voluntary, unpaid work during the free time for a formally organized association or organisation.